Former first lady Melania Trump will “almost certainly” influence who her husband chooses as his running mate in 2024, according to a former White House official.
“Mrs. Trump will certainly have her say when it comes to who would be the best adviser to her husband as he seeks to retake the White House,” the former aide to Trump during his presidency told Fox News Digital.
“It remains to be seen whether Trump will follow her advice in choosing his running mate, but based on what I’ve seen so far, it’s safe to assume she will be open and honest about whether or not a particular person is suitable to be VP,” the source said of Melania Trump.
If Melania makes it clear who she thinks is best qualified, it wouldn’t be the first time she has influenced her husband’s thinking on a vice presidential choice.
Trump has a “pretty good idea” about his running mate, and will likely announce it at the Republican National Convention
Former President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump stand together during an event at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate on November 15, 2022 in Palm Beach, Florida. (Joe Raedl/Getty Images)
In his 2018 book, First in Line: Presidents, Vice Presidents and the Pursuit of Power, Kate Andersen Brauer Melania Trump played a key role in ensuring that a “clean” and “safe” candidate was selected as President Trump’s running mate in the 2016 election.
“That means no infidelity, no nasty money troubles — no drama. She realized her husband had had enough,” Brauer noted at the time.
Although their relationship has deteriorated due to the results of the 2020 presidential election, President Trump ultimately chose former Vice President Mike Pence as his running mate in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections.
Brower said Melania Trump “clearly supports Pence” because he has a “totally clean record.”
It is still unclear who Trump will choose as his running mate in the 2024 presidential election, which is less than five months away. The report was released last week. She touted her relationship with the former president and first lady and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and their families.
Pack’s report highlighted the relationship between Melania Trump and Burgum’s wife, Katherine, noting that Burgum “worked with her on multiple occasions during Trump’s term, including on creating a recovery-friendly workplace.”
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Former President Donald Trump stands alongside North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and his wife, Katherine Burgum, during the 2024 caucuses at Treasure Island Casino on February 8, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The report also noted that the Burgums were invited to the White House to celebrate the signing of the First Step Act, a criminal justice reform bill, which the outlet said is “an issue of particular importance to Katherine.”
The outlet also mentions how the two couples “bonded” at Mar-a-Lago during an Easter brunch this year.
It is not yet clear whether Melania Trump will speak out on Burgum’s behalf as he considers his options in the hotly contested vice presidential race, but she has made successful suggestions to her husband in the past.
Petitioning former presidents on specific issues is said to be something former first ladies have done frequently, typically regarding issues of public perception or trust.
“While there were certainly occasions when Mr Trump sought advice from Mrs. Trump, those incidents typically concerned what I would consider public opinion,” a former White House official told Fox. “He also knew when not to ask for advice, and he typically did not seek her advice on issues about which he had particular knowledge, such as the economy, business, trade or other types of transactions.”
“I think in a lot of ways she’s like Nancy Reagan, behind the scenes,” the source added. “Though she wasn’t in the public eye every day, she played a role in some of the decisions that led to a better course for President Trump in terms of public perception, trust and support.”
Then-First Lady Melania Trump sits during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on February 12, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Speaking to Fox News reporter Aisha Hasni at the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C. last week, President Trump said he had “a pretty good idea” who his running mate would be.
But his decision is not expected to be made public until this summer’s Republican National Convention, scheduled to be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from July 15-18.
